Votto gets day off

REDS NOTEBOOK

May 31, 2012

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PITTSBURGH –Joey Votto was out of the starting lineup Wednesday for the first time since Aug. 8 of last year. With today’s off day, Votto will get two days of rest.

Votto has played in 176 straight games. There was, of course, a chance he’d play Wednesday. He had started 106 straight games.

The day was Votto’s call.

“I talked to Joey about a week ago,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “We came up with this day as the best day. I was a little apprehensive that two days in a row would hurt his stroke. He said it’s not going to bother him at all. Joey Votto knows Joey Votto pretty well.

“When a guy gets to that certain status, certain prowess, you owe it to him and us to discuss it with him. Some off days I mandate. Some off days, we discuss it. This is one we discussed.”

Did Votto resist a day off?

“He’s given us everything he has,” Baker said. “This guy – hasn’t he played every day, every inning? – Cal Ripken’s record is a long way from being in jeopardy. That’s a record I respect. But like Hank Aaron would always tell us: Try to to play 150 games. You might take two off this month, none off the next, two the next. There are 10 or 12 games when you’re just a name in ink on the lineup card and really no factor because you’re tired or emotionally drained.”

Votto is extremely good at rising to the occasion in nearly every at-bat. He’s reached base in all but three games this year.

“I’ve seen Joey wearing down in the last week,” Baker said. “Today just happened to be the day we came up with and discussed.”

Votto is hitting .361 over his last 24 games, entering Wedneday.

“You know he’s going to hit the ball hard every time,” Baker said. “He’s been working tirelessly. He didn’t like the April he had.”

Votto was given permission to report late. He had not arrived in the clubhouse when the team took the field for batting practice.

FROM COLD TO HOT

Jay Bruce took a four-game hitting streak into Wednesday’s game. He was 6-for-14 with a home run, three doubles and four RBI over the streak. Before the four games, he was on a 1-for-31 skid.

The difference?

“I don’t know to tell you the truth,” Baker said. “If I knew, he’d never go into a bad streak.”

Baker let Bruce play through the slump.

“What other choice do you have?” he said. “No. 1, you’re not going to sit him down for a period of time. No. 2, he’s not going to get it by sitting down. You’ve got to play your way out of things.

“He’s getting better pitches to hit. He’s not chasing them out of the strike zone. When he’s getting his pitches to hit, he hasn’t been missing them.”

NUMBER OF THE DAY

.405

That’s what Votto is hitting at Minute Maid Park, where the Reds open a series Friday. He’s hit all of his last 18 games there (.467, 15 doubles, four homers, 16 RBI).

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Who’s next Tom Brokaw?” – visiting clubhouse attendant Kevin Conrad to Todd Frazier as Frazier headed off for another interview about saving a man’s life with the Heimlich Maneuver